A. Mathmos lava lamp bottles are manufactured in one of the highest quality automated bottling factories in Britian. Even so small bubbles are a normal part of this manufacturing process, it is not a fault.

Q. What are the differences in quality between a Mathmos lava lamp and others?

A. A different lava formulation giving better lava flow, longer life, clearer liquids and more vivid colours. The metal parts are of a thicker, higher grade metal allowing us to hand polish them to a high shine. Our bulbs are directional taking the heat away from the base and directing the light into the lava. We have a higher standard of safety and build quality audited by a number of different bodies. We provide a comprehensive range of spare parts unlike other throw away products. We have 50 years of British manufacturing excellence to draw on.

Q. How long should it take for my lava lamp to warm up?

A. Lava lamps should start working within an hour to an hour and a half of turning them on. First they will form stalagmite shapes, then they will start to form lava lamp shapes. Please note, new bottles will take longer to heat up (up to three hours), but the heating time will decrease after several uses.

If your lava lamp does not warm up in this time it may be positioned in the wrong place or the room may be too cold. Lava lamps should be positioned away from drafts and air conditioning. The room should be at least 20 degrees centigrade.

how long warm up - how long start up - lava lamp start up time - lava lamp warm up time

Q. My lava lamp just has one large bubble sitting at the top of the bottle that does not move?

A. The lava lamp is overheated. It could have been on too long (more than 8 hours), so please turn it off and allow it too cool. Or it is positioned in a room that is too hot (more than 24 degrees) or next to a heater. Please reposition your lamp.

lava stuck at the top

Q. How should I dispose of my lava lamp bottle when it reaches the end of its life?

A. Please make a hole in the metal cap with a sharp point, then pour away the liquid. The bottle may then be recycled through your local recycling centre.

bottle throw away - dispose bottle

Q. Can I buy new liquids for my lava lamp?

A. Lava lamp bottles are a sealed unit and so we do not sell the liquids separately, but you can buy a new bottle and contents for Mathmos lava lamps here.

A. Lava lamp bottles are a sealed unit and so we do not sell the cap separately, but you can buy a new bottle and contents here.

lava lamp cap - cap lava lamp - buy cap

Q. Why is my Astro bottle not sitting straight in the base?

A. Bottles are now supplied with a lip which runs around the lower part of the bottle, to ensure it will sit straight in the base. When the bottle is placed on the base, it should sit securely, although it will still be possible to move the bottle from side to side. If your bottle isn't sitting correctly, please please contact our customer service team .

wonky lava lamp - wonky bottle - bottle wonky

Q. How long do lava lamp bottles last?

A. Mathmos Lava lamp bottles last for approximately 2000 hours of use. After this you can buy a replacement bottle here.

lava lamp lifespan - lifespan lava lamp - lava lamp last

Q. Where can I buy replacement bulbs for my Mathmos lava lamp?

A. Mathmos have large stocks of replacement bulbs for our lava lamps available here.

A. Don’t worry whilst some halogen bulbs are being phased out for lighting purposes Mathmos uses halogen bulbs primarily to heat its lava lamps rather than to light them; so the use of halogen bulbs in our lava lamps is part of a special purpose exemption under current regulations. We have large stocks of these special purpose bulbs and we also have an ongoing supply. We also have alternative ways of powering our iconic lamps should there be further changes to the regulations in the future.

A. Small bubbles in the lava are normal particularly when you first receive the lamp. As you use this over time the bubbles will reduce.

Q. Why has the liquid in my bottle gone clear?

A. Over time the dye in the lava liquid will fade, particularly if it is positioned in direct sunlight. If you lamp was bought within the last year and the instructions were followed please contact our customer service team. If your lamp was bought over a year ago you can buy a new bottle here.

liquid clear - clear liquid

Q. The liquid level of my lamp is too low. Can I top it up?

A. No Mathmos lava lamp bottles are sealed units. Do not attempt to take off the cap and on no account top up the liquid. The heat from a lava lamp causes the liquid to expand and topping it up could cause the lamp to be overfilled and put pressure on the glass as the liquids expand. If you are not happy with your bottle buy a new one here.

liquid low - liquid refill - top up liquid

Q. Why is there wax sticking to the side of the bottle?

A. If you use the lamp a few times this wax should join the rest of the lava. If this does not happen and your lamp was bought less than a year ago please contact us here. If you lamp is over a year old please buy a replacement bottle here.

Q. Do you offer any colours in addition to what is shown on your website?

A. No however we do constantly add new colours so sign up to our mailing list to be notified of new colours as they are released.

bespoke bottles - special bottles - custom bottles - custom colour

Q. My Jet lava lamp isn't working, what can I do?

A. You may be able to buy bulbs for your jet here. Otherwise I'm afraid we can't help; the jet was discontinued many years ago.

jet lava lamp broken - jet lava lamp replacement - jet replacement

Q. Why can I see a metal spring coil floating in my lava lamp bottle?

A. The metal spring is an essential component of a lava lamp bottle. However it should be sitting at the bottom of the bottle. Run the lamp for several hours and hopefully the spring will settle in its right place.

metal coil in bottle - metal spring in bottle

Q. Why won't my new Telstar bottle fit on my old Telstar base?

A. Bottles and base tolerances do vary a little over time, please contact customer services here.

bottle doesn't fit - bottle won't fit - wonky bottle

Q. Why can I see a foreign object in my new lava lamp bottle?

A. There should not be anything other than lava and liquid in the bottle, please contact customer services here.

A. There have been many small changes in the manufacture of Mathmos lava lamps over our long period of production. Dating lava lamps is not something we can do for you. You might want to visit one of the specialist sites such as www.flowoflava.com to begin this process.

Q. How can I clean my lava lamp?

A. The bottle should be cleaned with glass cleaner and a cloth. The base and cap is aluminium so please use recomended products. If in doubt just use a soft cloth.

clean lava lamp - polish lava lamp

Q. My lava lamp broke on the floor. How do I clean it?

A. Dispose of as much liquid and lava as you can remove from the floor. Then use recommended cleaning methods for removing coloured water and wax for whatever floor you have.

A. We do not supply this part currently. The heat shield is no longer required if the lamp is used with the current Fluidium bulb. New bulbs for the Fluidium can be bought here.

fluidium parts - fluidium replacements

Q. Can I get a new dimmer for my Lunar?

A. We do not currently supply this part for the discontinued Lunar.

dimmer lunar - lunar dimmer

Q. Are Mathmos lava lamps suitable for children?

A. The only lava lamp suitable for children is the Mathmos Neo. The Neo was designed with children in mind, so as well as looking stylish it is also shatterproof, has fixture points, doesn’t get too hot, and is screwed together as a secure unit. This means the lamp has passed the stringent safety checks needed to be classified as child safe, something no other lava lamp in the UK is classified as. We recommend other lava lamps be placed well out of reach of children under 14.

age limit - kids

Q. Can I use the Neo bottles in my Telstar or Astro Baby lava lamps?

A. No Neo formulation is different the bottles will overheat in other models and Astro Baby and Telstar bottles will run slowly or not at all in Neo.

Q. I am having trouble fitting my Neo together.

A. Remember to put the cap and back element on top of the bottle before you put it on the base. Please see the Instructions tab.

Q. I have lost the screw holding my Neo together.

A. You can use an Allen key of the appropriate size or failing that buy another screw, or any other spare parts for Neo.

Q. Neo’s bottle looks a little different to the other Mathmos lava lamp bottles why?

A. It has a shatterproof coating, this helps hold the glass together should the bottle be dropped and break. Buy more bottles here.

Q. Why does my Neo not come on immediately?

A. A slight delay before the light comes on is normal with halogen bulbs.

Q. What makes Neo qualify for a certificate for all ages unlike other lava lamps?

A. Several stringent criteria must be met to achieve this, for example; the bulb should not be accessible without a tool, it must be low voltage not mains voltage, it must be very stable, it must have a shatterproof coating on the glass, the bottle must be attached to the base and it must not be too hot.

Q. Can I easily change Neo’s bottle and bulb when they end their lives?

A. Yes undo the screw at the back with the Allan key provided then Neo comes apart and you can access both the halogen capsule bulb and the bottle. Remember to wait until the product is cold to do this. Buy spare parts here.

Q. There is a little light bleed from the joints at the back of Neo, is this normal?

A. Yes it is.

Q. The screw fixing Neo together sticks out just a little, is this normal?

A. They do vary a little so yes this can be normal.

Q. Can I buy a replacement bottle for my Jet?

A. We are afraid that Mathmos no longer stocks replacement bottles for the discontinued Jet model.